India tightens screen protector quality standards from April 2027
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has brought smartphone screen protectors under mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards registration, requiring all such products sold in India to meet a defined quality benchmark from April 1, 2027.
The move, notified on September 21, aims to eliminate substandard and untested tempered glass and film protectors that currently dominate large parts of the market.
Under the amendment to the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, “Screen Protectors for smartphones” has been added as a new category.
Manufacturers and importers must ensure their products conform to Indian Standard IS 19348:2025 before they can be legally manufactured, imported, stored, sold or distributed in the country after the deadline.
Details of the Quality Standard
IS 19348:2025 sets specific requirements for glass screen protectors used on electronic displays. It covers glass quality parameters such as dimensions, strength and surface finish; optical clarity including light transmission and limits on visible defects; and additional functional layers such as adhesive systems, anti-shatter films, oleophobic coatings, anti-glare treatments, blue-light filtering and privacy films.
Packaging must also display essential information including the manufacturer’s name, batch number and product thickness.
The standard applies primarily to glass-based protectors, the most common type used on smartphones. Products that fail testing at BIS-recognised laboratories or lack the required registration will not be permitted for sale once the rules take effect.
Transition Timeline and No Immediate Ban
The notification does not impose an instant prohibition. Manufacturers, importers and brands have been given a transition window of more than six months, until March 31, 2027 to complete laboratory testing, factory registration and obtain the necessary BIS approval. From April 1, 2027, only compliant products carrying the BIS Standard Mark will be allowed in the formal market.
This staggered approach is consistent with earlier expansions of the compulsory registration scheme, which already covers smartphones, chargers, laptops, LED televisions and several other electronic goods.
Implications for Consumers
For buyers, the primary expected benefit is greater consistency and reliability. India’s screen-protector market has long featured a wide spectrum of products ranging from premium branded tempered glass to inexpensive unbranded options of highly variable quality.
Many low-cost protectors crack easily, reduce touch sensitivity, introduce optical distortions or lack proper adhesive performance. Once the standard becomes mandatory, consumers should encounter fewer poorly performing products.
Price impact remains uncertain. The Gazette notification itself does not mandate any increase. However, the costs of testing, certification and compliance could raise production expenses for some players, particularly smaller importers and unorganised sellers.
Whether these costs are passed on to retail prices will depend on how individual companies manage the transition and on competitive dynamics in the formalised market.
Industry estimates place the annual Indian market for screen protectors at ₹12,000–16,000 crore, with sales exceeding 500 million units. Roughly 90 per cent of supply has traditionally come through the unorganised grey market, dominated by imports. Domestic manufacturers have argued that the absence of quality norms created an uneven playing field.
The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association, which had advocated for such standards since 2022, welcomed the decision. Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA, stated that the introduction of mandatory BIS standards “marks an important milestone for the category and a welcome step towards building a quality-led, Made-in-India ecosystem.”
He added that the move would protect consumers from sub-standard products while creating a level playing field, and projected that a quality-driven industry could generate around 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute an estimated ₹2,000 crore in GST revenues.
Analysts note that formalisation could also encourage greater domestic production and eventual export opportunities, aligning with broader efforts to strengthen India’s electronics manufacturing base.
Screen protectors are now the 66th product to be added to MeitY’s Compulsory Registration Order for electronics.
As the April 2027 deadline approaches, manufacturers and importers will need to invest in testing and certification, while retailers and online platforms will have to ensure inventory compliance.
For consumers, the change should translate into more reliable protection for increasingly expensive smartphone screens, even if some lower-priced options eventually exit the market.
About the Author
